From the Arab Gulf to Syria, the Nile Valley and the Arab Maghreb – The People Unite in Solidarity!

At the time that the Arab states turn toward legal, political and economic reforms, pushed by the popular anger against the legal and economic situation that was afflicted on our Arab countries during the past periods by autocratic and repressive regimes, which acted to weaken the Arab peoples, keep them in ignorance and kill all their creative energies in an orderly and systematic way, we find that some states didn’t stop practicing some violations against the Arab activists in their different countries, in spite of the arrival (to the government) of some of the political parties that suffered a lot from the authoritative practices.

This happens while there is still Arab refusal to adopt a decisive stand against the regime of Bashar Al-Assad and his armed gangs, which commit daily massacres against the Syrian people and against the youth, who come out every day in peaceful demonstrations against the regime of Bashar Al-Assad.

In Morocco nearly 80 activists from the youth groups, and at their foremost activists from “The 20th of February Movement”, are still held in detention. In Jordan the authorities arrested nearly 18 activists from “The Jordanian Popular Movement” and referred them to the State Security Court, which is a military unconstitutional court. All the activists in Jordan and Morocco are detained for their political views and their demands for reform programs.

In Cairo the Egyptian authorities still use some illegitimate practices against the Egyptian activists who demand some economic reforms and putting an end to the use of military courts against civilians, including demonstrators (Khaled Mekdad, Ahmad Al-Dakroury and Ahmad Manna) and children (Islam Harby and Mohammad Ihab) and the release of the revolution’s officers, which are detained on the order of the former Defense Minister Hussein Tantawi.

In Bahrain the authorities did not stop practicing continuous violations that are incompatible with human rights principles. The military’s influence still costs the lives of civilians. The last case was the killing of a demonstrator, aged 17, in his village South West of the Bahraini capital Manama. He was shot by the security forces and died as a consequence. The security forces also arrested dozens and keep them in detention without bringing them to trial. Dozens of prisoners of conscience and people detained for their political views are still languishing in Bahraini prisons, including Human Rights and political activists, which were arrested because of their demands for political, constitutional and legal reforms.

In Algeria many Human Rights, trade unionist and political activists are subject to detention and judicial harassment.

In Sudan the number of detainees held by the authorities exceeded 1700. The situation was aggravated by the detention of more than 15 Sudanese women. Some of them were released and others are still held under detention in Sudan’s prisons.

We, the undersigned groups, declare our full solidarity with the Syrian people, their right to self determination and their demand for Bashar Al-Assad giving up power. We affirm our support for the initiatives of peaceful struggle in Syria.

We also demand from the authorities in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Algeria, Sudan and Bahrain to respect Human Rights and the freedom of opinion and expression, to act quickly for the immediate release of all the detained activists and to put an end to all the extraordinary actions taken against them. We also call for the implementation of all the legitimate demands raised by those activists, including legitimate economic, legal and constitutional reforms.

Signatories

Arab movements and parties

6 April Youth Movement – Egypt

The Constitution Party – Egypt

The Egyptian Current Party – Egypt

No to Military Trials – Egypt

The Jordanian Youth Movement – Jordan

I Deserve A Civil Trial – IDACT – Jordan

Girifna Movement – Sudan

The 20th of February Movement – Morocco

ATTAC Morocco association against capitalist globalization

Association of Moroccan Workers in France – France

Independent Youth Movement for Change – Algeria

Syrian Peaceful Movement Group – Syria

“One People One Destiny” Campaign – Syria

Syrian Week – Syria

Demonstration Team – Syria

“Waw Al-Wasel” Group – Syria

The Syrian Democratic Forum – Syria

Youth Against the Settlements – Palestine

Palestinians with the Syrian Revolution – Palestine

Youth and Students sector in The Democratic Progressive Forum Association – Bahrain

Arab National Figures

Engineer Ahmad Maher – member of the Constituent Assembly for the Constitution

MP Ziyad Al-Alimi –member of the former People’s Assembly – Egypt

Khalaf Ali Al-Khalaf – Syrian writer

Rabab Al-Bouti – Syria

Ahmad Lanki – member of the Libyan National Congress

Mohammad Al-Aouni – head of “freedoms of media and change” organization – Morocco

(Free Haifa Note: I made the effort to translate and publish this important declaration within hours after it was published. If you know Arabic, see the original text in Arabic. If there are any suggestions for improved translation please leave a comment or send an email.)